


Ad'ika (Din Djarin x Teen!Foundling!Reader)

by Honeybxnches



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Anxiety, Depression, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Good Parent Din Djarin, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Other, Parent-Child Relationship, Physical Abuse, Platonic Relationships, Protective Din Djarin, Self-Harm, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 20:28:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29830467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Honeybxnches/pseuds/Honeybxnches
Summary: Y/n had enough of fighting, they decide to take matter into their own hands and run away in hopes of a better life but soon realizes that life doesn't always work out the way we wish it toor does it?
Relationships: Din Djarin/Reader, Din Djarin/You
Comments: 5
Kudos: 19





	1. chapter 0: the runaway

you were running. 

panted breaths and rapid foot falls is all you can hear as you flee from the bounty hunter; your life on the line. not that he would kill you, your mother made sure to tell him that you were made back alive, though that doesn't mean without harm as is made prominent by the searing blood-soaked blaster graze to your shoulder. 

you cant go back. 

you won't go back. 

you'd rather die trying than to turn back into the arms of someone who falsely loves you. see its not that she didn't love you, she was your mom, of course she loved you, but all parents have their flaws. hers was just belittling you and manipulating you to make you feel as if you existed for nothing else but to cause her pain and suffering. because that's what you did right? I mean obviously it's all your fault. why wouldn't it be? you've fucked up one too many times and this is the final straw. you thought you could run away, packing your bags and salvaging left overs until you had a decent amount of rations saved up to last you until you could get to the next planet, that is if you could get the credits to do so seeing as you blew it all on a brand new vibroblade as you would need some form of protection if you were to get any farther than the edge of town. however, your plan was faulty. you failed to realized that the other townsfolk would pay you any mind. they never had before, ignoring the numb emotionless look you braved everyday and pretending as if they couldn't hear the arguments your mother and you had between the thin wood walls of your hut, but apparently you were wrong. one step in the wrong direction and someone had to go blabbing that you seemed to be up to no good. and this is why you were running. your mother had put a hefty price on your head for anyone who could get you back into her 'safe loving arms' 

what a bunch of bullshit. 

too caught up in your thoughts to notice the tree root sticking out of the ground your foot gets caught and you fall. 

this is it. 

you couldn't let yourself be dragged back home but you were too tired to put up a fight. 

the man in shining beskar caught up quickly after that. 

laying there on the ground you stared at the stars for the last time. a dull throbbing sensation persisted in your shoulder as well as a new sharp burn from the scrapes of your knees on the ground. you didn't want to fight anymore. so you let the bounty hunter cuff you. no words were said as he walked you back to his ship. you had managed to get off your home land and to some other planet which you knew nothing of, only that it was heavily dense with woods and made a good home while it lasted. you'd miss the smell of the morning air after a storm and you'd miss climbing the trees to get a better view of the fawn that were sprinkled around the land and if you thought hard enough you could still taste the fresh berries you had for breakfast and feel the cool water on your skin from the rapids just down the way. with a dull look behind your eyes you studied the beskar clad man. shamelessly and openly you picked apart everything you could about the stranger your mother entrusted you with. the way he walked with purpose and an almost arrogant air flitted around him as if he knew that he could strike the fear of a thousand sun's on any man just by the mention of his name. he seemed.....different. other bounty hunters you had met were always quick to throw themselves out there, talking smack and letting the bounty know that they bested them and that they were better than them in anyway they could possibly think of. not this man. he seemed to want to stay in silence as much as you did, if not even more. as you rounded the corner of a tall tree you were quick to stumble upon his ship. afraid that you would be frozen in carbonite you forced yourself to start talking in hopes that it would make the man see you as more of a human being rather than a bounty with a price on your head. 

"so, how much is my mother paying you to bring me in? must be a pretty high price if a mandalorian took the job" 

the man only stayed silent, barely acknowledging that you had even spoke a word with a slight grunt and a tilt of the head. 

"not much of a talker eh? yeah me either, I mean I prefer the silence too but I can't help but ramble when I get nervous" you say as you clamp your mouth shut in nerves and twiddle your cuffed hands as a way to distract yourself from the ever imposing doom of returning back home. 

don't cry. 

don't you dare cry. 

you can't cry, if you cry you'll get called names, if you cry everyone will hate you, your pathetic. 

despite the wandering thoughts and threats you can't help but let a few tears escape your eyes. this is it, you think. there's no coming back anymore, your life would be over. sniffling and shuffling around a little bit you try and get as comfortable as you can in the co-pilot seat without disturbing the leering bounty hunter less than ten feet away although it seems to do nothing for you when he glances back at you once he hears you sniffling and moving around. 

with a heavy sigh he finally speaks "how old are you?" 

you smile a little bit and stare at the dark t-shaped visor as you contemplate telling him the truth or lying. you look old enough, to pass as an adult, that is, at least you tell yourself that. maybe if you tell him your 20 he would let you go? I mean who would keep a grown adult from doing what they wanted right? it's not like you were a wanted criminal, you'd never even hurt a fly. 

almost as if he was sensing the cogs in your brain running a mile a minute the mandalorian gruffed out "don't lie." 

with that your smile falls. glancing away from the visor that seems to be reading your soul you stare at your hands and whisper "16." 

taking a peek at the man he seems to be studying you. he can sense your nerves in the way you bite your lip, picking at your chapped skin, despite the fact that it was starting to bleed and in the way your hands seem to slightly shake everytime he looks your way and the slight change in your breath as you hesitantly answer his question. 

your scared. of course you are why wouldn't you be? only 16 and you were just chased down and shot at by a man twice your size who does this everyday. glancing at your shoulder and the way you seem to be keeping it as still as possible as it steadily leaks a bright crimson color he can't help but to feel guilty. he knows this will forever be ingrained in your memories and you will forever have a scar as a reminder everytime you look in the mirror and it's because of him. 

jumping into hyper space you wait for the man to look back and do something. you hold your bated breath. he looks back at you and grunts out 

"take off your jacket" 

internally you panic. no, not again. your just 16, you scream into your own ears as of that would change what was about to happen. memories and flashbacks of all the times your mother jokingly groped you screamed to be let out. yet you stay silent as you slowly peel off your jacket being careful with your wound. taking deep and even breaths your mind finally catches up to the moment and you tell yourself you have to comply, you've never been in a big of a situation like this but you know struggling will only make it worse. 

"do you want me to take off my top to?" you say as you reach down as best as you can in cuffs and start to pull your shirt up. 

the man is quick to grab your wrist and stop you before you exposed yourself as he stares at you as if you've grown 2 heads and says a quick, panicked "no!" 

flinching away from him with his raised voice you stared at him confused. 

"I just want want take a look at your shoulder" 

oh 

oooh 

you flush with embarrassment but are quick to hide your emotions and steady your heart as you allow yourself to think that maybe he wasn't so bad. that thought is thrown out the window just as soon as it popped into your head as your quick to remember that even your mother doesn't respect you, and you don't deserve it, so why would a stranger? someone who isn't supposed to love you like family is. 

turning your head you watch as the mandalorian takes out a medpack and grabs the cauterizer and a bandage and pulls up a crate to sit on next to you. 

"this is going to hurt" he tells you as he turns on the machine and waits for your response. simply nodding you look away, staring at your bare arms as your skin begins to burn as the wound is being closed. 

be quiet. don't yell. 

don't cry, don't show emotion. 

despite the warnings your mind is screaming at you, you can't help the small grunt of pain that escapes your chapped lips as your brow furrows deeper into a frown. the show of emotion is quick to be dampened though, knowing that if you made too much noise, or did anything wrong or that you weren't supposed to it could end in a berating. 

you should be grateful. it's not like she hits you most of the time, maybe just a slap here and there but you can handle it. 

it's the words that you can't. you can only take so much of being told your not enough before you start to believe it. 

mando would never say it but he was shocked when you seemed to be un-bothered by the sizzling of your skin. putting away the machine he grabs the bandage and as gently as he can wraps your shoulder up. he notices the way you flinch at his touch, and the way you shiver before he even touches you or if he moves to fast or too unpredictably, and he wonders what made you this way. it doesn't take a genius to notice the way your eyes are dull and tired or the way you seem to dread going back home. 

your quick to flinch away from him when he closes the med pack. despite being terrified you cant help but to bask in the attention. he handled you with such care, as if you would break with the slightest touch and as if you were something precious that needed to be protected. the realization makes you tear up again. no one has ever treated you like this without it ending with an argument or a few choice words that made you feel like you should've just suffered in silence. all though still guarded, you let out a quick "thank you" with all the heartfelt emotions you can muster after years of hiding them. he just nods his head and goes back to his seat. sitting in the silence you get lost in your thoughts again. you wonder what the man is like. you wonder if he gets lonely, if he regrets living the way he does or if he has someone who is waiting for him at home, wherever that may be. your shoulder is stiff. you want to put your jacket back on, it provides you with safety, a false sense of home where you can hide away from anything and everything. it had seen better days, the denim was faded in spots and the leather of the collar was filthy as well as a fresh new hole and blood stain from your wound. your heart aches. rembering when you used to wear the denim as a little child when it was much to big on you and belonged to your father. your throat closes up as your thoughts flashback to the sight of your father laying there, with dull eyes and pale skin, much like you now, expect he's never coming back. looking down at your arm you can't help but to stare. all though it's nothing you haven't seen before, you still get emotional staring at the self-inflicted scars. a reminder, that you're not enough, and you'll never be good enough for anyone. 

despite his whole "don't ask any questions" motto he cant help but to ask  
"why didn't you fight back when I caught you?" 

almost as if you were taken aback by the question you flinch and stare at him with your empty eyes. 

"a person gets very tired of constantly fighting when it's all they ever know" 

and with that you look away and stare out the front window as if nothing happened. you scold yourself, you said too much, he's going to yell at you. 

mando can't help himself 

"what do you mean?" 

you turn back to him with a hesitant glance. 

should you tell him? I mean, you're never going to see him again right? this may be your last and only chance to let anyone know that the reasons your gone isn't because of something you did, but something you didn't do, which was be good enough for your mom. 

with a baited breath you start talking 

"my mom and I, we are complicated...." you pause and take a deep breath as you stare through the visor devoid of all emotions  
"I'm always screwing up, so we fight a lot, she tells me I'm just a brat, or that all I ever do is make her feel like she wants to die, or that she can't wait until I move on with my life so she can get hers back and i'm just so tired." choking on tears you take a moment and collect yourself "I'm not enough for her, and I never will be, im not going back there, im not gonna make it. I will kill myself before I have to go back there, it's only a matter of time until we get off this ship and I can take a blaster and blow my brains out, I didn't fight because I didn't care what happened, it's not going to matter anyways" 

ok 

maybe you shouldn't have said that last part. 

admittedly, you are never going to see this man again and he doesn't care about you, he just wants his money, but something about the way you heard him quietly suck in a breath when you said that makes you regret it. 

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have said anything" and with that you turn away to start blankly at the window again. 

in shocked silence mando stares at you. he understands now. why you seem so emotionless, so dull, so tired, and why you didn't seem to think twice about the pain you were being put through. he's noticed the scars but never put two and two together until now and his heart aches for you. despite being a foundling and being raised without any real parents with him he still had people who cared, and even though his parents died the memories of them were always happy, as a kid he never had to worry about the things you worry about and he can't even begin to imagine what it must be like at only 16. 

"you can't do that" 

"do what?" 

"...." he doesn't have the heart to say it, but he knows that you know what he's talking about 

"you can't just give up like that" 

"why not? what do you know about me? who's to say I want want keep trying anymore? I'm tired mando! I'm so tired of this life and I'm tired of living it this way! I can't keep running if I'm just going to be chased and taken back to the hell my mom likes to call home sweet home." you say with a snark to your voice as you start to tear up and lose the emotionless facade you had tried so hard to put up. 

stop 

stop crying, he's going to yell at you 

so you stop. 

mando is confused with the quick change in emotion

you take a deep breath and say "I'm sorry about that, just take me home" and go back to staring blankly out the window 

with a heavy heart mando turns away from you and begins his decent into your home planets atmosphere. a few moments later he arrives on barren land, open fields of grass with wild flowers spread vastly across the land as if they were some form of disease that attacks everything it touches. 

it was beautiful 

chancing a quick glance at you mando notices your eyes full of wonder, your pride for your home planet is obvious, but the dread in your eyes over powers any happy feeling that can go through your head. looking over at the mandalorian he stands and gently grabs your arm as he begins to lead you off of his ship and towards your town not very far away. but you halt as he is opening the ramp 

"my people, they don't like strangers, and will not take kindly to you having me in cuffs with a man that strikes fear into the hearts of others. if you could uncuff me I will go without trouble, ill explain to my people that you are no harm, though I can't promise they won't be wary" 

with a hesitant glance mando nods his head and takes off the cuffs, putting them away for another bounty. following your lead he lays his hand on his blaster. willing to use it again if you run away even if it hurts his heart do so. walking upon a small town with children running about small wooden huts with curtain doors and harvesters all about the people stop and stare at the both of you. a big tall man approaches you and mando is alert in case he needs to step in. speaking in a native tongue that is foreign to him the man seems to be frustrated or angry with you, while you are calm and monotone. after a few more heated words the man glances up at mando and with a heavy sigh walks away. mando, unsure of what transpired, looks towards you 

glancing back at him you say "as I expected he wasn't really happy to see you, but he said you can stay for however long you need because you brought me home"  
and with that, you lead him to your home. doing a rhythmic knock that your people created to know who was knocking on their door you let your mother know of you presence. 

"come in!" she yells, voice full of cheer and smiles as if her daughter wasn't missing and she hadn't a care in the world 

mando looks at you, he can see your shaking form closing in on itself. with your arms crossing across your body in a defensive manner and eyes cast down at the ground with a look of fear in them he steps in first and holds the curtain open for you. the hut is small, a washroom out back with two beds on each side, one which is obviously better kept than the other one. mando can immediately tell which one is yours. you have thin stained blankets and a single flat pillow that doesn't seem like it would do a good job, where as the other bed has a nice thick duvet and fluffy pillows that look to be made of the finest of materials around. watching as you go sit on your bed and pick up what looks to be a broken droid he can sense your heart shatter in your eyes. your mother steps out of the back room and you immediately tense up and become emotionless. back straight and eyes forward he sees you put on a happy face and become excited to be home again, it's not hard to know that it's fake. 

your mother gasps and rushes over to you squeezing you tight you can't help but to flinch ever so slightly but your fake happiness only falters for a second when your mother hugs you and squeezes maybe a bit too hard and seems to whisper something in your ear. looking towards mando your mother walks up to him with tears in her eyes 

"thank you for returning my baby girl to me, I don't think I could ever repay you" she smiles so brightly and for a second mando wonders if you were being over dramatic. your mother hands him the credits and tells you to stay here as she leaves and tells the mandalorian to follow her to get some food for his travels. once your mother is out of earshot you take a look at him and say "thank you, not for bringing me back, but you didn't have to be so kind to me when bandaging me up and I hope that our paths cross again in another lifetime, may the maker give you safe travels" and with that you walk out to the backroom. 

once mando leaves you breakdown. sobbing so hard that it hurts your chest and racks your body with every breath in and you begin to panic, your heart racing and your body shaking with hot and cold flashes. feeling dizzy and nauseous you collapse against the wall and curl into yourself, wanting this to be over. 

your mother comes back 

she walks over to you with such an angry and hate filled voice and simply says "I'm so disappointed in you, all I ever do is take care of you and give you everything you need. but you embarass me to everyone in the entire town by running away and being a cry baby knowing full well everyone can hear you." and with a hard shove to your injured shoulder she says "you aren't my daughter" and walks away. 

staring off into space you decide this is it. it's your time and you make your way to stare out the window into the beautiful green fields for the last time. writing a quick note of apology to anyone who you think might feel sorry for you, you grab a blaster and stare out the window contemplating. your mind goes back to the mandalorian, youre glad he made your last day somewhat bearable, you'll miss him, even if you barely know him. with a deep breath you put the blaster up to your chin and your breath picks up. staring blankly at the horizon you notice mando look your way. he does a double take you give him a small smile and wave at him even though you probably look so awful right now. waiting for him to leave so he wouldn't have to see the gruesome scene you take a few more moments to appreciate the feel of the breeze on your flushed skin and the sound of the leaves blowing through the trees. your finger clicks off the safety of the gun and lays on the trigger. closing your eyes shut tight you take a breath in and pull. 

nothing happens 

you open your eyes, exasperated and pull again. putting it up to your temple you keep pulling over and over as you start sobbing harder than ever before and you fail to notice the mandalorian rushing into your home and pulling the blaster away until he has you wrapped into his arms while you sob like your life depends on it. 

"I can't even fucking kill myself! I can't do anything right! please kill me mando, please just kill me, I don't want to live like this anymore." you stare up at him with desperate eyes and pull your arm away when you reach for one of his blasters on his hip. 

"no." he grunts out and pulls you into his beskar clad chest as you shake and sob. 

calming yourself down you sit there in silence, devoid of emotion and apologize. 

"im sorry you had to see that" 

he stares at you 

"don't be sorry, never. be sorry. this isn't your fault and it never was, no one's helping you and for all I care everyone in this town that knows what was happening to you but didn't help can rot. you deserve better ad'ika" and with that he pulls you up to your feet and gently grabs a hold of your shoulders. "pack a bag, you can come with me, if you want" 

a look of shock comes across your face and then the brightest smile he's ever seen on anyone splits across your face as you throw yourself at him in a hug and say thank you over and over. he chuckles and let's go of you telling you to hurry. 

as you approach the ship, you take a glance back at your home for the last time. a somber feeling washes over you but a new feeling that you haven't felt in a long time blossoms

hope.


	2. chapter 1: the mandalorian (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mando brings in a bounty and the reader starts to trust him a little more

it had a been a few weeks since you had joined the razor crest with mando. your dynamic was....different. mando didn't necessarily treat you as his kid, more of a friend. you easily fell into a rhythm of helping around the ship whenever you thought it was needed. when you lived with your mother she expected you to keep things clean. if a single thing was out of place or dusty you would get reprimanded and would get things taken away or assigned even more chores to do on the huge list of things you already had to do because your mother was apparently always too busy with work to do them, even though you saw her sitting down with a cup of ardees more than once while you scrubbed away at the bathroom sink or swept the thin wooden floors of your small hut. the razor crest wasn't exactly the best for privacy, there was the cockpit and the hull and then the vacctube and mandos loft where he slept. your "room" if you could even call it that, is built into one of the walls in the ship. an old storage closet with a big long shelf which had been repurposed into a bed of sorts. it wasn't the most comfortable thing ever, but it was homey, and with there being a door allowed you to get alone time, just like everyone else needs. living with someone else in a tight space wasn't really a struggle for you, you'd lived in a 2 room hut with your mother for years and you had never felt more suffocated than you did then. memories of your mother barging into the room while you were changing, or telling you that you were lazy and untidy and ungrateful filled your head before you could stop them. squeezing your eyes shut, you willed them to go away. 

you're okay 

she cant get to you 

you're safe 

well as safe as living with a bounty hunter and mandalorian could be. 

currently the razor crest was parked on an icy land called Maldo Kreis. mando was hunting a bounty while you stayed inside the heated ship away from the cold and out of danger. mando never really cared much for other bounty hunters, they were often full of themselves, as was made obvious when he walked into the bar where his tracking fob was leading him to. the vacuumed doors open and closed causing the tables to shake and another bounty hunters drink to fall over. the hunter stares at mando with an angry glare as he stepped further into the bar. 

"you spilled my drink" 

mando ignores the man and continues walking until he steps up to the bar 

"hey, mando" the gruff man grunts as he takes slow calculated steps towards where mando is sitting. "I said, you spilled, my drink." the man glares. 

the other bar patrons watch on in suspense, tension palpable in the air. 

the bartender decides to speak up 

"he says you spilled his drink" 

when mando still doesn't respond the bounty hunters friend drops the bounty to the ground and walks over to join his friend, most likely to seem more intimidating, though mando remained stoic as ever. 

"its fine, it's on me" the bartender rasps, trying to quell the conflict before it can fully form 

"is that real Beskar Steel?" the hunter grunts out, as him and his friend crowd around mando, so close they're touching, and he reaches out and scratches the front of mandos chest plate with his knife. 

"here" the bartender slides the hunters drink down the bar towards the men and before anyone could even blink mando grabs it and pulls it back to knock into the hunters, using his elbow for extra leverage. he twists around and smashes the mug on one man and grabs the other and slams his head down on the bar. the hunter yells in anger as he takes out his knife with his right arm and swings it around to try and stab mando, but mando is quicker than him. grabbing his arm and pushing his elbow up and away mando gives the man a hard uppercut and brings the arm around the man's back and stabs the knife deep into his spine. before the body could even hit the floor, mando is shooting out his grappling hook and grabbing the other hunters leg before yanking hard, making the man fall face down onto the floor as he gets trapped in between the door and his body is cut in half. 

the bartender and the other patrons stare in what seems to be amazement but is laced with an underlying hint of fear. the bounty, no longer being terrorized by the hunters sits up and awkwardly chuckles towards mando 

"thank you, thank you very much, you have my heartfelt gratitude." 

mando steps closer to the bounty without saying a word, the bar still silent. 

"you know what here, you take my credits, buy yourself a drink" the bounty breaths out in a false show of thankfulness 

mando reaches out and places the bounty's puck onto the table, it lights up to show a hologram picture of the blue mythrol in front of everyone. 

"uh, is that a bounty puck?" the mythrol says, pretending he doesn't know what's going on. he glances between the puck and mandos beskar helmet 

"is that me?" he sighs "look, uh, there must he some mistake, I can get you more credits." 

"I can bring you in warm" mando pauses to rest his hand on his blaster "or I can bring you in cold" 

* 

you abruptly wake up, not realizing you had dozed off when you hear the ramp to the crest opening. grabbing your vibroblade from inside your boot you stand up and take a careful peek outside your room, you never know who's going to show up, it wouldn't be the first time you'd gotten kidnapped off the crest for falling asleep but that's a story for another time. noticing that it's just mando you step out of your room to announce your presence. mando is quick to yank someone into the ship as you hear the ice cracking and a loud roar from a ravanath outside the hull, quickly overpowered by the yelling from the bounty. 

mando looks over at you, "stay in your room and hold on to something." 

you nod and close the door to your tiny closet, sitting under your bed for extra security and grab a hold of the ledge above you as to not get thrown around. feeling a sudden jolt in the ship you're yanked forward and almost impale yourself on to your vibroblade. 

you should probably put that away 

another jolt rocks the ship as you hear the cockpit doors opening and what sounds like someone grabbing a gun before they climb down the ladder and open then hatch to the frigid air outside, the ship begins being rocked back and forth with harsh pulls from the ravanath before there's one final pull and the crest takes off into space. opening your door mando glances down at you with a quick "are you okay?" and as soon as you nod he's back off to the cockpit. 

assuming it's safe to venture out of your room you go and grab a quick snack before plopping down on to the floor with a book about how to sew up clothes. hearing foot steps you glance up to see none other than the bounty climbing down the ladder and glancing around. somehow, he fails to notice you, and begins pressing a bunch of buttons on the wall until suddenly the weapons closet is opened up and the mythrol hurriedly closes it again. 

glancing up the ladder he says "uh, this feels a lot better, haven't evacuated since the solstice" he begins slowly walking towards where you are sitting yet is still oblivious to you as you sit and watch in amusement. 

"yeah, I was hoping to be home for uh life day, maybe even uh...." he halts his speech as he sees looks over and sees a body frozen im carbonite. "maybe even uh get home to the family..." he freezes again and glances at more of the carbonite as he notices the looks of terror and agony on the frozen bounty's faces. mando sneaks up behind the man as he finally says "but I guess that's not gonna happen this year" 

"probably not" mando replies as he yanks the man into the carbonite chamber to be frozen. putting the carbonite slab with the others he looks over at you as you give him a timid smile and wave. 

"I thought I told you to stay in your room" 

a wave of nerves rushes over you from head to toe and a fresh pang of pain from anxiety vibrates in your chest. 

" I uh- well uh y-yeah but I just thought it was fine to come out and grab a snack since the ship seemed to be doing fine and nothing was going on" 

noticing your nervous demeanor mando is quick to assure you that he's not mad, he just wants you to stay safe. 

"okay ad'ika I'm not mad, just concerned for your safety, what if that bounty had noticed you? he could've easily stolen one of my blasters and shot at you" 

gulping a small breath of air you look away from the beskar clad man and devoid your face of any and all emotions or nerves and apologize 

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again, promise" 

and with that mando nods his head for you to come join him in the cockpit while you continue your journey. gathering up your book and a couple of sewing needles and thread you climb the ladder and sit in the co-pilot seat in comfortable silence. 

mando glances back at you 

"what're you reading" 

peeking up at him you raise up the cover of the book so he can read it. you're still a bit shy around him, you are grateful for all that he has done for you, of course, but it doesn't change the fact that you didn't really know him, even if you thought you did, so you held yourself back, never showing your true personality unless it was behind the confines of your closet where no one could see you. no one knew you, and you thought it better to be that way. if no one sees you for who you are, then they can't pick you apart and tell you everything your always doing wrong right? so you stick to your books, and your cleaning, and your cooking, despite mando telling you multiple times you don't need to do either of those things. raising the book back down you look up at mando 

"I thought sewing might be useful to know, plus..." your words falter as you glance at the shoulder of your jacket where the hole is still there from when mandos blaster grazed you all those weeks ago. looking away, you go back to reading your book until you find the type of stitch you deemed to be fit for your jacket and start to take it off. 

suddenly you pause 

mando was still looking at you, he didn't need to see your scars 

suddenly filled with nerves you pretend to be picking fuzz off your jacket trying to play it off as if that's what you were doing all along. mando knows better though. he sees the slight tremor in your otherwise still hands and notices the way you pause as your eyes fill with insecurity for a brief second until it's gone again, back to the dull eyes you seem to dawn no matter what time of day it is. his heart breaks for you all over again. he doesn't know you, not really, and he's not going to pressure you to speak about anything that has happened or why you are the way you are because he can see how your eyes get this far away look in them when you seem to think about your troubled past. he doesn't think he's ever ran as fast as he did that day when he saw you trying to take your own life. he feels guilty, for subjecting you to that in the first place, if it wasn't for him, you could've been care free, living in the woods with animals and fresh air, if it wasn't for him that wouldn't have happened. 

no 

no, he tells himself 

your mother would've just sent more bounty hunters after you, better him than someone who doesn't have a common shred of decency 

taking a deep breath he tries to make eye contact with you through his visor, sometimes he really despises his creed 

"you don't need to be ashamed" 

"....of what?" your timid voice fills his ears 

"your scars, you shouldn't be ashamed of them, they show how far you've come, and how youve survived and put up a fight. nobody should be ashamed of their scars or for persevering through their past." 

you weren't expecting that 

your eyes fill with tears as your heart swells with emotions. you don't deserve this, you don't deserve to be comforted, not when all you do is screw everything up. 

but there's a part of you that wants to believe him, as far as you know, mandos not a liar. 

despite you trying to quell the strong emotions building up in your chest you can't help but to let out a few heavy tears. reaching up, you quickly wipe them away, mad at yourself for showing anything but dull indifference. with a quick glance up at mando, you slowly take your jacket off and grab your sewing supplies. threading the needle you begin to work, ignoring the silent eyes studying your form as you unconsciously turn your forearm into yourself as much as you can in shame.   
mando turns back around and looks out at the stars, though he wouldn't express it out loud, he's proud of you. he knows how hard it is for you, to be vulnerable around other people, and a sense of pride fills his chest at the thought that you trust him enough to open yourself up to him like you are, you may be 16, and far from being a kid, but that doesn't stop him from thinking of you to be his ad'ika

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> todays chapter is kinda short and not that great but I was pretty busy and didnt have much free time today,, thank you so much for reading! the story is only just begging and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it. I didn't expect this to get any reads or continue the story further past a first chapter but after getting positive feedback I decided why not, it's like free therapy anyways lol.
> 
> anyways, hope you enjoy and I will see you in the next chapter :))


	3. Chapter 1: The Mandalorian (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mando and reader meet kuill

hyperspace was a beautiful place. despite seeing the galaxy a hundred times over it still takes your breath away, it reminds you that you're free now, and you're not restricted by the confines of abuse. your eyes begin to feel heavy and before you know it you've fallen fast asleep in the copilots chair which, has happened more than you'd admit too. mando can't help but to smile when he sees this though, you look so peaceful and carefree, your face is relaxed, not like it is when you're awake, your brows always slightly furrowed and there's always a slight frown on your face. mando is constantly conflicted about your show of emotions, or rather, lack thereof. you've never talked to him about the things that have happened to you and he's not going to pressure you but he wishes you would open up to him. he knows he's not exactly an open book either but he can't imagine how difficult it is to keep it all bottled up. 

you begin to stir in your sleep, face falling into a frown and you start to toss and turn a bit before a few tears leak from your closed eyes and a small "please..." whimpers out of your throat. then suddenly you abruptly wake up, gasping in a small breath of air you shakily exhale before looking around and realizing where you are. your face flushes a bright red, embarassed that mando had seen that. 

"sorry I'm just gonna uh go lay down" you whisper out, face still flushed, with your eyes to the floor, not even sparing a glance his way you stand up and climb down the ladder. memories of your nightmare flash in your mind and when your small makeshift rooms door closes behind you, you let out a few sobs. tucking yourself into the corner of your bed you grab your small music player and put your earbuds on before choosing some music. 

your dad always liked metallica 

turning the music up until it's all you can hear you grab your jacket and hug it close. you miss him so much, he was your protector, a buffer between your mom and you. never letting her be too mean, never letting her put a single finger on you, and if she did his arms were right there for you to fall into. with the music and your sniffles you don't notice the soft knock on the door until it slides open. being careful to not inavde your personal space mando sits on the edge of your bed. waiting for you to take off your headphones he tries to breach the subject of what just happened. 

"what are you listening to?" he asks as he tilts his beskar clad head towards your music player 

"Metallica, they were my dad's favorite....do you want to listen?" you say, voice hoarse from crying 

mando nods and you shuffle closer, now shoulder to shoulder with him as you put one earbud in your ear and give the other to mando to reach under his helmet. clicking play on the music you nervously pick at your fingers, you'd never shared this with anyone before. it was something you never talked about, worried people would judge you for the music you liked and you didn't think you could handle that. showing this to mando, is like showing a little part of yourself. showing that you're more than just blank stares and small conversations. chancing a glance up at mando you quickly look down again when you see that he's already looking at you. 

"I like it" 

and with that you can't help the smile that climbs your face. 

"do...do you want to talk about it?" mando tries to breach the subject of your nightmares 

you swallow what seems to be a big knot forming in your throat and look over at him. "my dad, he was like, a protector, from my mom that is. he was always there when things went wrong and made me feel like life was worth living when my mom made me feel the opposite." choking up you blink back the tears building up in your eyes. "when I was 11, he died." you stop and take a shaky breath trying to stop your shaking hands but before you can even fist them closed they're grabbed by mando and he gives them a slight squeeze in comfort. "he was killed by one of the neighboring tribes to our village. apparently he had forgotten to pay someone back for something and in the middle of the night they snuck into our hut and slashed his neck. when.....when I woke up that m-morning....I went to wake him up because we had this thing where we would go down to the lake and eat breakfast together and listen to metallica but all I saw was just blood. everywhere. his eyes were still open and that's, that's what my dream was." squeezing your eyes shut you try and rid the image from your head but it's no use. your shaking harder now, heart racing and your palms are sweaty and you feel nauseous. bringing your hands up to your face you try and hide behind them. mando wraps his arm around you and brings you in for a hug. squeezing you in comfort he let's you cry and soon enough you've fallen asleep in his arms. leaning his head back against the wall, with a heavy heart, mando closes his eyes and drifts to sleep. 

the next morning mando wakes up to the beeping of the ship, a telling sign that it was soon to drop out of hyperspace and he would have to go land the ship on Nevarro to collect the credits for his bounties. noting your absent presence mando pauses your music and gently wraps it up before setting it on your pillow. closing your door mando looks over and sees you making breakfast. you look over at him and give him a shy smile "I made us breakfast, ill stay in my room once we land so you can eat" handing him the bowl you walk to your room and shut the door. you hope that he understands this is a gift of thanks. you aren't good with expressing emotions, you either cry or do nothing at all so you pray he knows what it means, you can't remember him ever having a home made meal since you've met him and you can only hope he likes it. 

you're worried of what he thinks of you now. you know mando isn't one to judge people but theres a part of you that thinks he might be doing just that. the last time you had ever told anyone about your dad they told you "life sucks, suck it up honey" and that definitely left an impact on the way you trust people. 

once the ship has landed you start to eat your food. it tastes pretty good if you do say so yourself, you always cooked food for your mom and yourself and over the years you've picked up on a few tips and tricks here or there. your oats are gone within minutes, not realizing how hungry you actually were and how long it'd been since you had an actual meal. setting your bowl aside you pick up your music player. maybe mando would let you get some more music? you've been listening to the same 5 albums for the past 5 years, who knows what other stuff is out there. hearing the cockpit doors open and boots clinking there way to your room you sit up straight. knocking on the door mando let's you know it's ok for you to come out and you open the door. 

"I need to drop these bounties off, there will be people coming on to the ship to get them so please stay in here." 

but before he could walk away you open your mouth and speak "could I come with you? I mean if it's safe too, I have some credits from when I left home and I'd like to get some new music" you stammer out as your heart races from nerves and unsurity. 

mando takes a second and tilts his helmet at you before sighing and nodding. "only if you keep your vibroblade with you" smiling happily you grab your blade and stick it in your boot before walking towards the ramp. "what're you waiting for mando, we got some bounties to cash in" grinning and almost vibrating from excitement you stand in place, impatient. 

opening up the ramp, you're quick to stay by mandos side as you venture out into nevarro. walking up to a music vendor you take a look at the rock section and grab 2 albums that look like they'd be what you like, both by a band named queen. paying for your music you walk back to mando as he had been leaning against the opposite wall surveying the surroundings for any threats and grin up at him saying thank you. 

"when we go into the bar, I need you to stay with me okay? don't wander off, and don't talk to anyone." 

becoming a bit more serious you block out the emotions from your face and nod at mando before following him into the bar. everyone stops and stares, the friendly chatter that was their previously is paused and then resumed once mando walks over to a table with a man at it. 

"ah that was fast, did you catch them all?" the man says, reclining in his seat. 

mando sets down three tracking fobs before taking a step back 

"good. I'll begin the off-load." he says before looking over at one of the bar patrons and speaks to them in huttese before they leave. you're assuming to go to mandos ship. unclipping his rifle mando sets it on the table before sliding into the booth, letting you follow after him. 

"ah and what do we have here? picking up strays mando?" the man glances at you before looking back over at mando. nerves flare up in your body but your face remains dull and the only show is the slight sweat to your palms. mando grunts before staring down the man and he quickly takes the hint that you're not to be discussed or messed with. 

placing down the credits for the bounties on the table mando leans back 

"these are imperial credits" 

"they still spend" 

"I don't know if you heard, but the empire is gone" 

the man sighs and looks around 

"its all I've got." 

mando reaches for his tracking fobs before the man reaches out and stops him 

"save the theatrics" 

reluctantly the man speaks 

"fine i'll...I can do calamari flan." he reaches into his pocket and places them down on the table "but I can only pay half" 

mando pauses 

"fine" 

the man pulls out more bounty pucks before explaining what each one is 

"hmm I have a bail jumper, a bail jumper, another bail jumper, a wanted smuggler." 

"I'll take them all." 

"no. hold on." the man says as he once again stops mando from grabbing something. "there are other members of the guild, and this is all I have." 

"why so slow?" 

"its not slow at all, actually. very busy. they just don't want to pay guild rates, they don't mind if things get sloppy." 

mando takes a deep breath in, almost in exasperation before sighing out "what's your highest bounty?" 

"not much. five thousand" 

"that won't even cover fuel these days" 

the man grunts and looks down before getting a bit more serious 

"there is one job" 

"let's see the puck." 

"no puck, face to face, direct commission, deep pocket." the man states with a look you can't decipher. 

"underworld?" 

the man glances around 

"all I know is no chain code. do you want the chit? or not?" 

mando takes a second before reaching out and taking it from the man's hand. a heavy silence falls and then mando starts to get up and you follow behind. 

glancing over at mando he looks back at you before speaking. "im going to take you back to the ship, this job could be dangerous" 

nodding along you follow him back to the ship. 

"don't let anyone in, ill be back as soon as I can" 

looking at mando you get a little nervous for him "ok....be careful" 

mando nods before giving you a squeeze on the shoulder and walking out of the ship, closing the ramp behind him. falling back onto your bed you heavy out a sigh. you love being around mando, and you're happy to live with him, but you value your private time too. closing your eyes you drift off to a dreamless sleep. 

waking up you feel the ship drift out of hyperspace. we're you asleep that long?? closing your eyes to try and get a few more minutes of sleep you try and think of what planet you'd be on. probably for mandos new bounty. hearing footsteps and then your door opening a bit you open your eyes and are met with a helmet looking back at you. glancing to his right and your left you notice a new shining piece of armor along mandos shoulder 

"when did you get that" you say as you sit up and nod towards his shoulder 

"today" 

"what planet are we on?" 

"Arvala-7 I'm hunting a bounty" 

ah that explains it, you nod and then fall back into your bed with a slight oof before almost nodding off again. why were you so tired? 

"sleep ad'ika, you'll be safe here, ill be back soon" closing your door you find yourself unable to fall asleep and lay there thinking for a little bit before you hear mando yelling and what seems to be a loud roar from some sort of animal. rushing to peek out the window you look and see what's going on. mando seems to be getting dragged around by an animal, one you've never seen before, and you are quick to worry. not knowing what to do all you can do is watch before suddenly a man riding one of the animals comes out of nowhere and shoots at them, electrocuting them and saving mando. you take a big sigh of relief before watching the two converse. glancing back at you mando opens the ramp and gestures for you to come out. leaving your jacket behind because it's kind of warm you subconsciously fold your arms across your body protectively and walk out to stand beside mando. 

"this man is going to help me with the bounty, he has a place for you to stay while you wait for me" 

nodding although nervous about meeting a new person you follow along until you come upon a small home. going inside you learn the man's name is kuill and he shows you to your cot before you all follow along to sit and converse. 

"many have passes through, they seek the same one as you" he says directed towards mando 

"did you help them?" 

"yes, they died" he says as if it's nothing and continues to pour out a drink 

"well then I don't know if I want your help" mando says, exasperated 

"you do" kuill simply says as he turns around and walks over to sit with mando "I can shoe you to the encampment" 

"what's your cut?" 

"half" 

"half the bounty to guide? seems steep." mando says with a shake of his head 

"no, half of the blurrg you helped capture." 

"the blurrg? you can keep them both" 

"no, you will need one...to ride" he states, matter of factly "the way is impossible to pass without a blurrg mount" 

"I don't know how to ride blurrg" mando says, shaking his head again 

"I have spoken." kuill says as he glances up at mando then goes back to pouring out his drink. 

night is quick to come as you get ready for bed. you and mando share a small hut, originally meant for storage you're guessing, but theres 2 cots with fluffy blankets and pillows on either side of the hut. it reminds you of home, your heart clenches. you miss your home, after all its been almost a month since you've been away, anyone would get a little homesick. but you're so much happier here and you get to see so many new places that you don't really ever want to go back. sitting on your bed you watch as mando takes off all his armor but his helmet and sits down as well. both of you lay down and you stare up at the ceiling. mando makes you feel safe. he's like your protector now, like your dad was, and you know that anywhere he is you will follow along, he means too much to you now now lose. 

"thank you" you whisper out 

"for what?" mando questions, a confused tone in his voice 

"for taking me with you, for caring for me, you didn't have to, I could be dead right now." you shakily exhale at that thought. if you were dead you wouldn't be experiencing all these new memories 

"I couldn't...when I saw you, in the window, there was no way I was going to leave you to suffer. I care about you y/n." and with that he turns over to sleep. 

smiling to yourself you close your eyes and drift off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another chapter done! this fic is definitely gonna be longer than I anticipated but oh well, hope you enjoy :)


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